Layout marking wheel

ABSTRACT

A marking device comprising a drum having a plurality axially elongated peripheral receptacles or pockets and cartridges arranged to be inserted into the receptacles from opposite ends of the drum and floatingly supported therein for radial movement which effects a pumping action to force marking fluid into a marking wick and aspiration of excess fluid into the cartridge.

United States Patent 1191 11] 3,783,785 Frank et al. Jan. 8, 1974 LAYOUT MARKING WHEEL 2,753,641 7/1956 Dorman 101/328 1 1 William Frank, Elizabeth 3322333 31323 2312251111111: 11121511354 2 Addlson, 601Q1; Frank 3,369,543 2/1968 ROHCO 401/199 x Lmdgren, 4818 N. lifton 3,546,779 12/1970 Klein 33/36 Norridge, lll. 60656 Prima Examiner-J. Reed Fisher 22 Fl d: A .14, 1972 1 1e ug Att0rneyJohn J. Kowalik [2]] Appl. No.: 280,448

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 101/328, 33/36 A marking device comprising a drum having a plural- [51] lint. Cl B43] 13/00 ity axially elongated peripheral receptacles or pockets [58] Field of Search 101/328, 331, 367, and cartridges arranged to be inserted into the recepl0l/376; 33/36-38; 401/197499, 208 tacles from opposite ends of the drum and floatingly supported therein for radial movement which effects a [56] References Cited pumping action to force marking fluid into a marking UNITED STATES PATENTS Wheeler 33/36 wick and aspiration of excess fluid into the cartridge.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 8 i974 FIG, 2

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LAYOUT MARKING WHEEL DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART Various marking devices for layout work and the like are known. One of the serious problems in such prior art is in the complexity of the mechanism required for properly feeding the ink or other marking fluid to the marking point and in adjusting such point or applicator to compensate for wear. Various expensive forms have been devised. Other devices function for only a short time or are not practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A general object of the invention is to provide a novel, durable and effective layout wheel for use by carpenters and the like.

A specific object is to provide in a layout wheel a novel marking device which comprises a flexible fluidfilled cartridge carried by a wheel and having a marking wick projecting beyond the wheel periphery, the wick being adapted to reciprocate inwardly and outwardly of the work contacting annular periphery of the wheel and serving to deform the container sufficiently to force feed the fluid into the wick.

Another object is to provide for a layout wheel a novel disposable cartridge which is easy to mount into the wheel and to remove therefrom.

A still further object is to devise a novel wheel which is simple and inexpensive to fabricate, preferably of plastic material.

Another object is to devise a novel marking wheel wherein the cartridges are adapted to be extended axially of the wheel beyond the sides thereof whereby the device is useful in normally inaccessible places, such as in proximity to a vertical wall.

Another important object of the invention is to devise an inking cartridge and mounting therefor which floats the cartridge so that it may operate upon uneven surfaces.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more apparent from the specifications and the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of our novel marking device;

FIG. 2 is a transaxial sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of a portion of the drum and cartridge;

FIG. 4 being a transaxial sectional view of a portion of the drum and cartridge mounted therein; and

FIG. 5 being an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGS. 1-3

Describing the invention in detail, and having particular reference to the drawings there is shown a drum 2 of skeletal construction comprising a center sleeve 3 having an axial bore 4 for reception of a preferably metallic spindle or shaft 5. The shaft 5 extends through the bore 3 and at one end 7 is provided with a thread 8 upon which is threaded a nut 9 in abutment with a washer 10 which bears against one end of the sleeve 3.

The other end of the shaft 5 is formed with a handle arm generally designated 12 which is Z-shaped in side elevation and has a leg 14 integral with the shaft 5 and extends trans-axially of the drum. The leg 16 connects with an inwardly extending portion 18 which is joined at its inner end with an outwardly extending portion 20 located generally medially between the opposite ends 21 and 22 of the drum. The outer end of the portion 20 is connected to a handle 23 which is of hollow construction providing a receptacle 24 for a spare marking cartridge 25. The receptacle 24 is fitted with a releasable cap 26 for containing the cartridge.

The drum has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially elongated ribs 27,27 about its periphery 28 to provide good traction for the drum as it is rolled upon a plank 29 or other member to be marked. The drum has a cylindrical annulus 30 which is connected by spokes 31,31 to the center sleeve.

The thick section annulus is provided with axially elongated pockets 33 of cylindrical shape which communicate through axially elongated slots or guides 34 to the periphery 28. Each pocket 33 extends the full length of the drum and is provided at its ends with inlet openings 35,36. The inlet opening 36 of each pocket 33 is dimensioned to admit a cartridge 38 endwise.

Each cartridge comprises a generally cylindrical capsule or container or shell member 40 which is covered by a sleeve 42 of sponge-like elastomer material such as polyeurathane. The sleeve 42 is slightly compressed between the cylindrical periphery 43 of the respective pocket and the periphery 44 of the capsule member and serves in shear to retain the cartridge against endwise displacement and in compression accommodates movement of the cartridge radially of the drum. The capsule or container member is formed of nylon or polyethylene or polypropylene or like flexible plastic material and is slit axially at one side as at 47 (FIG. 3) to provide a slot which is defined by a pair of outwardly protruding lips 48,49. The lips are biased to tightly enbrace a wick 50 which may be of stiff felt or porous nylon.

The wick has its inner edge portion 52 extended into the marking-fluid-containing chamber 53 of the container shell 49 for osmatic transfer of the ink or fluid 55 from chamber 53 to the wick body 56 which projects through the contiguous slot 34 to the periphery of the drum. The wick has an outer edge portion 57 beyond the periphery 28 of the drum. The wick extends and retracts with respect to the periphery pursuant to engagement of the wick with the surface of the board of plank 29 upon which the drum is rotated. Attendant to such engagement of the wick with the surface being marked, the wick is forced inwardly of the drum. This is accommodated partially by compression of the soft sponge-like sleeve about the cartridge and partially by deflection or collapse or warping of the cartridge shell 40. This deformation causes the ink to be pumped from the shell into the wick. As soon as the wick is free of the surface of the plank it will move outwardly to its initial position. This in turn pennits the shell to assume its undistorted shape and creates a vacuum at the wick thus aspirating the marking fluid into the shell. This reciprocal action of the wick insures not only the flow of fluid at the time needed to mark the surface, but the aspiration into the shell prevents excess fluid from spilling onto the drum. Thus a simple and effective means is provided for minimizing waste and for proper wetting of the scribing wick when it is marking.

The used cartridge is readily removed by displacement axially from the cylinder and if desired may only be partially inserted so that it extends from one end of the drum so as to be able to mark in normally inaccessible locations as alongside a wall. In such position the drum would rotate on a supporting board but the cartridges would extend from the drum axially and over the surface to be marked.

It will be noted that the handle end of the drum is provided with a guiding disk 60 which is of larger diameter than the drum and is fixed to one end 21 of the drum as by screws 62,62. The inboard side 63 of the disk is adapted to ride along a guide edge 64 of the plank and thus insures accuracy and straightness of the rim.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGS. 4 AND 5 In this embodiment the drum 2 is essentially the same as drum 2 and comprises pockets 75 of generally rectangular form with parallel chordal sides 76,77 and a circumferentially extending inner side 78. The elastomeric sponge material 79 is fitted between the pocket surfaces and the complementary periphery 81 of the cartridge shell 82. The structure and function of the polyeurathane material 79 and the plastic flexible shell being of same materials as the previous embodiment is to flex and charge the wick by pumping action and to aspirate the excess fluid from the wick when it is released from marking. In the present instance the lips 83,84 converge radially outwardly and engage complementary wedge surfaces 85, and 86 of the associated pocket. The wedging action causes the lips to tightly engage the wick to prevent leaking. This same type of action and relationship is in effect in the first embodiment on a lesser scale in that the lips converge outwardly and engage outwardly converging surfaces at the inner edge of the wick slot or guide means at a locking angle. In the present embodiment as well as in the former, the sponge material tends to bias the cartridge lips into wedging engage-ment. This insures that the wick is centered in its slot and in reciprocating is not pressed against sides of the slot so as to scrape off the fluid which would normally, due to gravity and centrifugal action, be forced onto the periphery of the drum.

In each embodiment one or more pockets may be left blank and the spacing will determine the distances to be marked. It will'be understood that parts similar in both embodiments are identified by the same reference characters.

Several embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. However, this is not intended to be by way of limitation, since now in view of this disclosure many other variations will become apparent which are intended to be covered by the appended claims, which shall serve to delineate the scope of the invention:

What is claimed is:

1. In a marking device, a drum element adapted to be rolled along the surface to be marked, a selected number of cartridges mounted on the element, each cartridge having a flexible container portion and a wick extending therefrom through the periphery of the drum, said wick formed of relatively stiff material and having an outer edge portion extending beyond the periphery of the drum and effective to deform said cartridge upon engagement with the surface to be marked by moving inwardly of said periphery, said cartridge having a shell of deformable plastic material and having lip portions embracing the wick which extends into the shell, said drum having guide means guiding said wick during reciprocation thereof into and out of the drum and said guide means having wedging engagement with said lips to enhance the clamping action of the lips against the wick, and means for floatingly mounting the cartridges in the drum.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and said drum having pockets receiving respective cartridges therein, and said mounting means comprising deflectible, relatively soft means between the cartridge and the sides of the pocket.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and said deflectible means comprising elastomer material of sponge-like characteristics.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and said material being polyeurathane.

5. The invention according to claim 1 and said drum having pockets elongated axially of the drum and said cartridges disposed in said pockets with the wicks projecting through respective guide means, and said mounting means comprising a sleeve of sponge-like elastomer material in each pocket encasing the shell and operative to floatingly support the respective cartridge.

6. The invention according to claim 5 and said pockets having open ends at the ends of drum, and said cartridges positionable in extended positions outwardly of an end of the drum and said cartridges adapted to be inserted and applied to the drum by endwise displacement axially of the drum.

7. The invention according to claim 1 and each said shell being of generally quadrilateral conformation and the drum having pockets extending axially of the drum and of complimentary form to said shells.

l l I II! 

1. In a marking device, a drum element adapted to be rolled along the surface to be marked, a selected number of cartridges mounted on the element, each cartridge having a flexible container portion and a wick extending therefrom through the periphery of the drum, said wick formed of relatively stiff material and having an outer edge portion extending beyond the periphery of the drum and effective to deform said cartridge upon engagement with the surface to be marked by moving inwardly of said periphery, said cartridge having a shell of deformable plastic material and having lip portions embracing the wick which extends into the shell, said drum having guide means guiding said wick during reciprocation thereof into and out of the drum and said guide means having wedging engagement with said lips to enhance the clamping action of the lips against the wick, and means for floatingly mounting the cartridges in the drum.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 and said drum having pockets receiving respective cartridges therein, and said mounting means comprising deflectible, relatively soft means between the cartridge and the sides of the pocket.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 and said deflectible means comprising elastomer material of sponge-like characteristics.
 4. The invention according to claim 3 and said material being polyeurathane.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 and said drum having pockets elongated axially of the drum and said cartridges disposed in said pockets with the wicks projecting through respective guide means, and said mounting means comprising a sleeve of sponge-like elastomer material in each pocket encasing the shell and operative to floatingly support the respective cartridge.
 6. The invention according to claim 5 and said pockets having open ends at the ends of drum, and said cartridges Positionable in extended positions outwardly of an end of the drum and said cartridges adapted to be inserted and applied to the drum by endwise displacement axially of the drum.
 7. The invention according to claim 1 and each said shell being of generally quadrilateral conformation and the drum having pockets extending axially of the drum and of complimentary form to said shells. 